Woodrows Strathmill 33yo Cask #2147 & Woodrows Mortlach 10yo Cask #814727

Woodrows Strathmill 33yo Cask #2147

Region: Speyside

ABV: 49.7%

Price: £279.00

Distilled on the 10th of May 1991, this release was initially matured in a sherry hogshead before being transferred to a refill hogshead for finishing. It was bottled on the 14th of May 2024, with a total of 157 bottles released.

Nose

The nose opens with bundles of red fruits, cherry jam, artificial strawberry, Victoria sponge cake (the mixture of vanilla and red fruit jam), milk chocolate buttons, along with a pleasant warehouse mustiness helping highlight the age of the malt. The alcohol feels pretty well integrated, there’s a touch of nutmeg/clove spice and a hint of white pepper too. We’re also finding something slightly acidic, freshly squeezed lemon juice perhaps, alongside wet staves.

Palate

The palate begins with zingy lemon, a little melon, orange zest, light toffee and soft cinnamon spice. Speaking of cinnamon, we’re finding the palate develop more into Danish pastries, with a sweet drizzle of glacé icing. The mouthfeel is a touch thinner than we’d like, it’s reminiscent of a moist, airy sponge cake (in whisky form). It’s a fairly delicate, sweet, cakey dram. The finish lingers for a reasonable length, showing a bit more oak, tannin and some of those maraschino cherries we detected on the nose.

Nose (with water)

The reduced nose takes a hit, losing a lot of the red fruits and showing more of the lemon, vanilla.. similar to a lemon cheesecake. There’s a bit of fresh beeswax showing through now too. It still retains some of that mustiness from before.

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate features more orange up front, slightly bitter, orange pith and zest. It’s transformed from a Victoria sponge cake to a citrus cheesecake. Lots of fresh vanilla and a bit of oak in the background.

Conclusion

This feels like a well aged refill sherry cask, a pleasant marriage of older spirit and older wood. It’s like sipping a bakery, lots of sweet fruits, cake and pastries. The mouthfeel lets this one down, but overall the dram is very drinkable, and will suit a lot of peoples palates. It’s one that will disappear quicker than you realise, you could easily have 3 or 4 drams in an evening.

Score: 7.5/10

Value

Yes, it’s a fair few quid, but you’ll be hard pressed to find a 33yo malt for less.

Woodrows Mortlach 10yo Cask #814727

Region: Speyside

ABV: 59.5%

Price: £92.00

Distilled on the 31st of December 2013, this release was initially matured in a refill hogshead before being bottled on the 14th of May 2024. A total of 283 bottles were released.

Nose

The nose opens with peppery Chantilly cream, neutral scented soap bars, nougat, and the torched sugar crust from a creme brûlée. It’s a relatively neutral nose, no young spirit notes but not too much cask influence either. There’s a touch of damp red clay, earth and salted, roasted peanuts. It’s almost a touch coastal, with pebbles coated in seawater. Time and air brings out a bit more sweetness, a mellow baked peach aroma.

Palate

The palate begins with a caramel sweetness.. fairly well cooked caramel, and the salinity of the nose rides through into this. It’s got a buttery, salty, well-fired croissant flavour, with some raspberry jam on the side. The alcohol is reasonably noticeable, but mellows as you continue to sip the dram. It’s got a good body, it really feels like you’re drinking proper whisky. The finish continues for a fair while, with the salinity building as it lingers in your mouth. We’re also finding a some walnuts and a citrus-flavoured dark chocolate.

Nose (with water)

Reduction brings out more of the alcohol on the nose. Definitely more spirit-forward now. We’re still on the beachfront, there’s still a salinity here, along with a slightly more metallic undertone to the whisky. We’d skip water here, it hasn’t done the whisky any favours in our opinion.

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate maintains the buttery mouthfeel, now we’re met with salted crystal-infused dark chocolate, with a fair bit more bitterness coming through for us. There’s still some caramel sweetness in the background, along with a red currant-tartness coming through on the latter part of the palate. A fairly restrained and mellow nose leads into a big, bold, punchy dram on the palate.

Conclusion

The whisky has an unexpected coastal quality that we’ve not experienced in many Mortlach’s, but we think it works well in this case. An interesting dram that really opens up as you sit with it. Some may find the saltiness too much, but we would go back for another dram.

Score: 7/10

Value

Competitively priced for an independently bottled Mortlach.

• 10 - Perfection. One in a million
• 9 - Outstanding. Exceptional whisky.
• 8 - Great. Would seek this out.
• 7 - Good. Quality whisky.
• 6 - Above average. Happy to have a dram.
• 5 - Average. Drinkable whisky.
• 4 - Below average. Passable.
• 3 - Flawed. Noticeable negatives.
• 2 - Defective. Significant faults.
• 1 - Offensive. Pour it out.

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